Dave Turple and Marty Loewen had just climbed Mt. Hood with ten boys who were from a home for boys who were in trouble with the law. It was an exciting feeling for each one to have made the 11,000-foot climb.
Conquering Mt. Hood was not the only reason for taking the group on this kind of outing. It gave Dave an opportunity to tell the boys the good news of the gospel - that God loves them and that Jesus Christ died to take away their sins, if they would trust Him. Dave had also prayed a private prayer, asking the Lord to help him show His love to these troubled boys.
They divided into two groups before starting back down the mountain. Dave went ahead with his group, and Marty followed a little distance behind with his.
Billy had been asking Marty about glissading, which is sliding in a standing or squatting position down a snow- or ice-covered slope. It had been hard work to climb all the way up Mt. Hood, and Billy wanted to have a little fun on the way back down. He kept asking Marty when he could try glissading. Finally they came to a point where Marty thought he could try it.
Billy unhooked himself from the rest of the group, held his ice ax behind him for control, and started sliding down. However, almost immediately he dropped his ice ax and was sliding without being able to stop. The slope was steeper and more treacherous than it had looked. Marty shouted “FALL” to those below, to warn them.
Dave and the boys who were ahead turned around and saw Billy zooming down towards them, out of control. Dave rushed over to block Billy’s path, anchoring himself with his ice ax. He hoped that his large 6'4", 220-pound body would stop the boy from falling to his death below.
Billy slammed into Dave, and for a moment nothing could be seen but a cloud of snow. Then Marty and the remaining boys saw, in horror, what was left - just an ice ax, two hats and a glove. Both Dave and Billy had fallen to their deaths hundreds of feet below.
Some days later, after the funerals, one of the boys said to Marty, “How could Dave - with a wife, a little girl and a good life -try to save someone like us?”
Dave, who was a believer in Jesus Christ, wanted to tell others about the Saviour who loves all sinners. His prayer had been answered. The Lord had given him an opportunity to show His love to the boys. He was concerned for Billy and the other boys and wanted to help them, even to the point where he would risk his life for them.
The Lord Jesus Christ shared the glories of heaven with God His Father. The Bible tells us that up there He was honored and loved. God called Him “My beloved Son.” It also tells us in 2 Corinthians 8:99For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) that Jesus was rich, but He became poor - He left heaven to come down to earth to die for you and me. His was an unselfish love.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep” (John 10:11-1311I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. (John 10:11‑13)). Just as a true and good shepherd doesn’t leave his sheep and run from danger to save himself, so the Lord Jesus did not turn away from what He had to do. On the cross “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:55But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)). And verse six says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity [sin] of us all.”
Does the love Dave showed for Billy touch your heart? It touched mine. Does the love the Lord Jesus has for you and what He did for you touch your heart? Will you accept Him for your very own?
ML-06/14/1996